Bioorthogonal Radiolabeling of Azide-Modified Bacteria Using [18F]FB-sulfo-DBCO

Purpose: This study was motivated by the need for better positron emission tomography (PET)-compatible tools to image bacterial infection. Our previous efforts have targeted bacteria-specific metabolism via assimilation of carbon-11 labeled d-amino acids into the bacterial cell wall. Since the chemical determinants of this incorporation are not fully understood, we sought a high-throughput method to label d-amino acid derived structures with fluorine-18. Our strategy employed a chemical biology approach, whereby an azide (-N₃) bearing d-amino acid is incorporated into peptidoglycan muropeptides, with subsequent “click” cycloaddition with an ¹⁸F-labeled strained cyclooctyne partner. Procedures: A water-soluble, ¹⁸F-labeled and dibenzocyclooctyne (DBCO)-derived radiotracer ([¹⁸F]FB-sulfo-DBCO) was synthesized. This tracer was incubated with pathogenic bacteria treated with azide-bearing d-amino acids, and incorporated ¹⁸F was determined via gamma counting. In vitro uptake in bacteria previously treated with azide-modified d-amino acids was compared to that in cultures treated with amino acid controls. The biodistribution of [¹⁸F]FB-sulfo-DBCO was studied in a cohort of healthy mice with implications for future in vivo imaging. Results: The new strain-promoted azide–alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC) radiotracer [¹⁸F]FB-sulfo-DBCO was synthesized with high radiochemical yield and purity via N-succinimidyl 4-[¹⁸F]fluorobenzoate ([¹⁸F]SFB). Accumulation of [¹⁸F]FB-sulfo-DBCO was significantly higher in several bacteria treated with azide-modified d-amino acids than in controls; for example, we observed 7 times greater [¹⁸F]FB-sulfo-DBCO ligation in Staphylococcus aureus cultures incubated with 3-azido-d-alanine versus those incubated with d-alanine. Conclusions: The SPAAC radiotracer [¹⁸F]FB-sulfo-DBCO was validated in vitro via metabolic labeling of azide-bearing peptidoglycan muropeptides. d-Amino acid-derived PET radiotracers may be more efficiently screened via [¹⁸F]FB-sulfo-DBCO modification.